SPORTS BRIEFS

Agencies

BASEBALL

Magic Johnson eyes Dodgers

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson of the National Basketball Association is teaming up with a group of investors that are looking at buying the Los Angeles Dodgers. Johnson, who is also a former part-owner of the Lakers, is joining a group that includes former Atlanta Braves executive Stan Kasten and business tycoon Mark Walter. They plan to take part in the auction to purchase the team, which will be sold by owner Frank McCourt. Johnson, who played point guard, sold his stake in the Lakers 13 months ago.

BOXING

Klitschko hospitalized

Wladimir Klitschko’s promoter Bernd Boente said the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion was taken to a Duesseldorf hospital with abdominal pains. Boente told German news agency DAPD on Friday night that Klitschko was displaying symptoms of renal colic, a pain commonly caused by kidney stones. Boente said Klitschko’s bout against French challenger Jean-Marc Mormeck on Saturday next week is not in danger. Boente said “the fight isn’t called off yet. Wladimir is doing well.” Klitschko has never before had kidney stones or other similar problems.

SPEED SKATING

US’ Fredricks wins 500m

Tucker Fredricks of the US won his first 500m World Cup race of the season on Friday at the Thialf in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Fredricks finished in 34.98 seconds. Joji Kato of Japan was second in 35.07 and South Korean Olympic champion Mo Tae-bum was third in 35.08. Martina Sablikova won the first women’s 5,000m World Cup race of the season in 6 minutes, 58.87 seconds. Claudia Pechstein was second and German teammate Stephanie Beckert was third. Yu Jing of China won the women’s 500m in 37.84, edging Lee Sang-hwa of South Korea by seven-hundredths of a second. Wang Beixing of China was third. Ivan Skobrev of Russia took first place in the men’s 1,500 in 1 minute, 45.81 seconds, ahead of Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands and Havard Bokko of Norway.

BOXING

Muhammad Ali recovering

Icon Muhammad Ali is recovering at home after a short hospital stay in Arizona, the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper reported on Friday. The newspaper said it spoke to Ali’s close friend John Ramsey, who said Ali was “home and well” after a scare last month where his wife called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital. “I don’t think he stayed very long,” Ramsey said. “He may not be going in the direction you or I like, but no one is on the alert.” Earlier on Friday, Star magazine and RadarOnline.com reported that Ali had been hospitalized just a few days after attending the funeral for old rival Joe Frazier, after Ali lost consciousness at his Phoenix home.

BIATHLON

Bergman wins 10km sprint

Carl Johan Bergman of Sweden won the men’s 10km sprint on Friday at the season-opening biathlon World Cup meet in Ostersund, Sweden, shooting clean to hold off Tarjei Boe of Norway. The 33-year old Bergman finished in 24 minutes, 22.5 seconds to beat Boe by 7.6 seconds. The Norwegian also hit all targets in the two shooting rounds. Bergman said he “probably hadn’t imagined winning today, but I felt pretty strong during the race.” He added he “had decided beforehand to be on the offensive, but in a positive way.” Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway was third, 13 seconds behind Bergman after missing one target.

SOCCER

Djalo lets cat out of bag

Aston Villa coach Alex McLeish was unable to hide his annoyance on Friday after potential signing Yannick Djalo announced his trial at the club on Facebook. The Portuguese forward was due for a trial at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground, but any hopes McLeish had of keeping the move quiet were extinguished when Djalo wrote about it on his Facebook account. “We’re just going to look at him on trial,” McLeish said. “Talk of signing him is very premature. I didn’t really want it to be anybody’s business, but I know the lad put it on Facebook himself, so what chance have you got?”